Remembering Our Fallen Heroes
by QueenOfNuggets
Summary: Eren looks over his fallen friends before giving a inspiring speech to the Survey Corps.


Autumn here, everyone. This is my first AoT fanfic as well as my first for this group.

**Remembering Our Fallen Heroes**

Now a twenty year old young man, Lieutenant Eren Yeager stood in the graveyard admiring the graves of Humanity's fallen heroes and citizens. He passed over each and every gravestone that contained someone he once knew, giving them a prayer before moving onto the next. A breeze swept across the field, striking him, sending his Survey Corps jacket fluttering along with the red scarf around his neck. His hand felt the scarf, brushing along it as he let out a sigh. Eren continued his prayers for his fallen friends just as Armin rode up from behind on his horse, disembarking net to Eren's. He passed over the empty graves of Captain Levi's squad; feeling angry at himself for his actions all those years ago that cost them their lives.

"Eren..." he said, but then noticed the grave Eren was standing at and lowered his head in prayer as tears appeared on his face. Eren knelt before the gravestone and placed his hand on it with tears in his eyes. In his other hand was a bouquet of flowers, which he laid before the grave. "Eren, Levi was looking for you. He said 'it's time.'"

Eren gave the gravestone a kiss before standing and returning to his horse, giving the graveyard one last look before going with Armin. The gravestone with the bouquet had an inscription which read this:

"Here Lies Mikasa Ackerman. A Good Soldier, a Good Friend, and a Good Sister."

Eren and Armin rode together in silence, though Armin did put his hand on his friend's shoulder for comfort, but it did little to help him. "It's been a year now, Eren" Armin said. "People die every day. It's a natural thing."

Eren weakly smiled at his friend. They rode on to the gate of Wall Rose, where the Scout Regime waited for him. Eren received many salutes from his comrades, which he returned. Commander Erwin nodded to him as well. Sergeant Armin Arlet received many salutes from his squad as he separated from Eren.

"Oi, Eren," called Sargeant Jean, Eren's left hand man of their squad. "How are you handling yourself?"

"I'm fine, Jean. Thanks for your concern."

"Listen, I want you to know that we are all behind you, especially on this day." Jean saw the look on Eren's face right away. "I'm sorry."

Eren moved to Commander Erwin and Captain Levi's sides to address the Survey Corps. "Everyone," Eren boomed. "Today we begin the 68th Expedition beyond the wall in our mission to recapture Wall Maria. This shall be the day when we reclaim what is rightfully ours!"

One soldier felt his fears rise and he stepped forward. "How do we know we will succeed this time?!" he ordered. "We have already lost so many people to the Titans, how do we know this will work?!"

Eren did not respond for a moment, but instead he looked amongst the scouts before him and he spotted Annie, the right hand of his squad. He remembered how a year before she redeemed herself for her actions by not only saving his life, but joining the Survey Corps to assist in the extermination of the Titans.

"I do not know if we will succeed or not!" Eren answered. "But I do know that so long as we continue to fight, we will never give in to the Titans!" Those words stunned everyone. "Even if we do fail and die against the Titans, I would rather die in a blaze of glory rather than dying like a cow waiting to be slaughtered!"

A smile spread across Annie's face. "I agree with Eren Yeager!" she yelled. "How can we look at ourselves if we do not make an effort in fighting back against the monsters that slaughtered our family and friends?" Everyone looked at each other, debating these words.

Eren smiled and nodded to Annie. "Annie Leonhart is right! Look at someone's back, what do you see? You see the Survey Corps symbol: the Wings of Freedom. These wings symbolize our will to go beyond our boundaries, spread our wings, and fly away into the world before us. We can do that if we fight for our survival! We will reclaim this world! It belongs to us!" Everyone's blood was surging at Eren's words. They saluted and let loose a mighty battlecry, but Eren was not finished yet.

"No matter what happens, I want all of you to continue to fight. Even if your superiors fall in battle, never falter, just continue to fight." Eren's hand touched his red scarf around his neck. Tears came to his eyes, but he forced them back. "We have all lost someone important in our lives, but how many more will we lose if we do not fight?"

All of Eren's closest friends that he knew from the Trainee Corps and those he became acquainted with knew exactly what he meant, and they bowed their heads for a moment of silence for their fallen friends. After they finished, Eren returned to his squad. Jean nodded his head to him and Annie took his hand in hers. "Are you alright?" she asked.

He smiled and gave her a hug. "I'm fine, thanks. Is the squad ready?" She nodded her head and Eren readied his horse, tightening the reins and patting his horse's head. "Then let us begin."

Commander Erwin gave the command for the gate to rise and everyone fled out, straight into the land that was taken from them, ready to claim it back. Everyone yelled their battlecry once more and rode out into formation, spreading their wings wide. They were ready.

**Remember to review, it helps a lot. I'll see you next time, readers.**


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